That’s the average figure workers say would give them a ‘comfortable life’ Women are less likely to ask for a rise than men – amid a new ‘gender pay rise gap Bristolians are the least happy with their current salary – with just 5% saying they feel comfortable on what they earn Yet Londoners are the most likely to ask for a pay rise in 2018 New research has revealed what the average Briton feels they need to lead a...

When I was planning my research into office cake culture for my MSc in obesity and weight management, cake-related discussions with friends and colleagues often led to the same full and frank discussion. Some argued that office cake is a sugar-laden menace lying in wait to trip up would-be dieters and hapless healthy eaters. Many felt that any ensuing weight gain carries health risks for individuals and reduced productivity for...

For a growing number of people, a visit to the city might involve an excursion to the museum, a visit to a local hotspot, and a ride in an Uber or Lyft to travel between the two. Where taxis used to fill the transportation void not that long ago, independent contractors driving for ride-sharing services are now picking up riders and taking them where they need to go; often more cheaply than their traditional, yellow counterparts. The...

Just 155,000 women earning over £100k… …Compared with over 625,000 men earning the same Despite political parties of all colours pledging to reduce the gender pay gap, the gap between women and men earning over £100k per annum has widened by 23% over five years, says Wilsons, a leading law firm. Wilsons says the difference in pay by gender continues to widen in the top tiers of income – there are now 470,500 fewer women earning...

Millions of highly skilled London working mothers are forced to accept jobs way below their qualifications and training – and therefore earn far less than men over the course of their working lives – due to the inflexibility of recruiters, according to an exclusive new survey. As the Capital gets back to work after the Christmas break and the country continues to grapple with stagnant labour productivity, the survey shows that a...

262 hours and 43 minutes lost to technology failures at work each year Computers crashing is the number one complaint by UK workers Professional services industry workers suffer the most technical faults BRITISH workers are being let down by their IT hardware, as new research reveals how many working hoursare lost each year to technical faults. A survey of 2,000 UK workers commissioned by IT provider Probrand.co.uk revealed that...

The lure and excitement of New Year resolutions has traditionally meant that January sees a spike in new job applications, while it is widely considered that December and the busy holiday season translates into a lull in the job market. To put this to the test, job search platform Joblift has calculated the difference between demand and supply for jobs each month in 2017. Interestingly, Joblift’s research shows that the festive month...

At the start of our 21st year, On Agency, the fundraising specialist marketing agency based in Brighton, is putting employee welfare at the top of the agenda. Starting on Monday 8th January 2018, we’re giving an hour back to every employee every day without reducing pay! This bold idea was proposed by On Agency’s Data Executive, Benjamin Jarrett. Benjamin was inspired by his research into Swedish workplace trials, which found that...

A record 54,000 jobs were advertised on totaljobs in the first week of 2018. 20% more than the same week last year. Education (+61%), Travel, Leisure & Tourism (+53%) and Customer Services (+42%) were among the fastest growing sectors Skills shortages, improving productivity and the gender pay gap all to influence the employment landscape in 2018 Britain’s job market continued to thrive in the first week of 2018, figures...

According to the latest research by Sodexo Engage, only 30% of employees feel motivated by receiving one big reward at the end of the year, despite the fact that annual bonuses have been a corporate tradition for decades. In 2016, a record total of £46.4 billion was paid out in bonuses across the UK, with the average British worker receiving a bonus of £1,600. However, the results from the survey of 2,000 UK employees suggest that...

Research by leading recruitment specialist, Robert Half UK has revealed that nearly three in 10 employees dream of quitting the corporate world to become their own boss. When questioned on their ultimate dream job, 28% of people admitted they would love to lead their own business instead of working for someone else. Of those harbouring ambitions to run their own business, for many it is a dream that they expect to fulfil. Nearly a...

Unfortunately sick days are an unavoidable part of running a business. Having absent employees can feel like productivity and performance stall. Whilst sick leave can cause some days of reduced outputs and overall efficiency, it is actually better for businesses in the long run to encourage staff to take the time off for their health. It is a worrying trend that over two-thirds of employees have gone to work while unwell and a...

There’s a lot of cynicism out there, about management. The men and women placed into positions of leadership over us are easy targets for complaint and attack (quietly and out of ear-shot if we value our jobs, admittedly), and from the Peter Principle to Dilbert cartoons there’s no end of people ready to take a shot at the ones how have to carry the burden of leadership in organizations and companies all over the world. And when one...

I will burn in Hell for the title of this blog, I realize. But there’s a common and not-entirely-inaccurate idea that HR is the fun police, generally, and it’s something that comes out in particular at Christmas because of the one event that all HR professionals look to with equal parts anticipation and dread: the office Christmas Party. Ah. Perhaps you knew that HR staff dread the Christmas Party, but maybe you didn’t know that we...

The Esme SME Study 2017 delves into the business challenges and priorities of SMEs Esme’s SME Study 2017 revealed that more than one in five (22%) of SME owners are struggling to hire and retain the right employees, with one in ten admitting they do not know how to retain staff. Also, more than a third (35%) of business owners believe the UK’s current economic climate will negatively impact their business looking forward –...